News Archive

On June 19, the Ozark Board of Education voted to hire Lisa Anderson as the Ozark Middle School assistant principal for the 2025-26 school year. The position became available recently after the board named current Assistant Principal Jared Lotz as middle school principal for next year. 

Exciting things are happening this summer … and Tiger Paw students get a front-row seat! On June 10, Tiger Paw broke ground on its new, inclusive and accessible playground in the empty field that was fenced in by the parking lot. Tiger Paw will also have its existing playground redone once Summer School is out. Students and staff are very excited! Over at Ozark High School, $2 million in roof repairs are starting as well. 

Ozark High School students Brodie Mohler, Sebastian Villarreal, and Lexie Zagorodny recently represented their school at the National Anatomage Tournament held May 30–31 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After earning top-four finishes at the Missouri State Anatomage Tournament during the Missouri HOSA State Leadership Conference in March, these students qualified to compete on the national stage.

This spring, students in Mrs. McNew’s Fashion Design & Construction class took their sewing skills to the next level, choosing advanced projects they loved and would proudly wear. From retro vests to formal gowns and streetwear staples, each garment was thoughtfully crafted using customizable PDF patterns.

Ozark High School students are no strangers to working with real clients on hands-on projects, and this spring Construction Tech 2 students did just that as they built a storage shed for Ozark’s Historic River District. 

Just weeks before Ozark students head back into the classroom, Ozark voters will head to the polls for the Aug. 5, 2025, special election where they will see a question from Ozark School District — a 20 cent no-tax increase levy transfer to help increase staff salaries.

Congratulations to our 2024-25 OZcar Staff of the Year winners for each building! Ozark School District is blessed to have such a passionate, caring and supportive staff. While these are the building winners, dozens more staff members were nominated. The District winners will be chosen from these building winners and will be announced in August.

Preschool screening appointments are now available! If you live in the Ozark School District, your child may be eligible to attend one of our Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center programs. Research shows investing in children early has huge benefits, not only to academic and cognitive skills, but early childhood education helps children improve social and emotional skills, language skills and adaptive skills, which are necessary for kindergarten readiness.

In case Ozark School District needs to cancel school, use late start procedures or early release procedures due to inclement weather, we want you to be informed of the process. Student and faculty safety is the primary concern in making the call for cancelation versus late start or early release.

We’ve all heard of the Heimlich maneuver, but have you ever had to actually use it? On Oct. 11, Giselle Gonzalez, a childcare teacher at Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center, had to put her training into action, and it’s something the Eoff family is eternally grateful for.

Can you believe we're already wrapping up the first quarter? Time really flies! That means it's almost time for parent-teacher conferences across Tiger Paw, our elementary schools, OMS, OJH, FRS and OHS. Keep an eye on your inbox—you should be getting an email from your child's teacher soon to set up a time.

Just one month after Ozark’s Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center received $100,000 in grants allowing the addition of two preschool classrooms, Tiger Paw received another grant allowing families to save money. This new grant, valued up to $780,000, will pay tuition for students who will enter kindergarten in the 2025-26 school year.

You may have noticed West Elementary students with their noses in a book this school year. That’s because West Academic Interventionist Emily Schaefer challenged students to read 1,000 minutes on their own time, and 22 students did just that!

East Elementary was full of hoots and hollers on Wednesday, May 14 when Principal Karen Capen announced to staff and students that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) named Ozark East Elementary School one of eight Missouri Gold Star Schools for 2025.

Brighter colors, comfy chairs, soft lighting, a map of Ozark, and a vending machine — with “school-safe snacks,” of course — are just a few of the suggestions West students shared with Ozark High School interior design students for a library makeover.

Congratulations to our 2024-25 OZcar Staff of the Year winners for each building! Ozark School District is blessed to have such a passionate, caring and supportive staff. While these are the building winners, dozens more staff members were nominated. The District winners will be chosen from these building winners and will be announced in August.

Ozark elementary schools love to celebrate attendance because it helps students build a strong foundation for their future. Attendance incentives look different at each elementary school, but the focus and goal remains the same. Consistently being at school on time helps students establish good routines and have higher academic achievement, which ultimately leads to success later in life. 

After months of counting down the days to meet the new professional therapy dog, Ozark East Elementary students were excited when they walked through the doors after spring break and were greeted by Spice, a yellow Labrador retriever. 

On June 19, the Ozark Board of Education voted to hire Lisa Anderson as the Ozark Middle School assistant principal for the 2025-26 school year. The position became available recently after the board named current Assistant Principal Jared Lotz as middle school principal for next year. 

The Ozark Board of Education voted to hire Jared Lotz as the Ozark Middle School principal for the 2025-26 school year during a special board meeting May 21. The position became available recently after current Principal Dr. Eric Russell accepted the superintendent position at the Sparta School District for next year. 

Congratulations to our 2024-25 OZcar Staff of the Year winners for each building! Ozark School District is blessed to have such a passionate, caring and supportive staff. While these are the building winners, dozens more staff members were nominated. The District winners will be chosen from these building winners and will be announced in August.

There’s nothing like a friendly March Madness competition to get middle school students — and staff — reading more books!

Fifth graders at Ozark Middle School sat attentively as Craig Kondracki, OMS counselor, stood before them.

"Are you creative, analytical, adventurous or compassionate?" he asked. “Today, we're going to talk about something really important, you. Your personality, your interests, and how they might connect to your future career.”

Ozark Middle School fifth graders in social studies class learned more than history during the first semester. Many of them also had a lesson in compassion, empathy and how it is better to give than to receive. 

Ozark Junior High was buzzing with excitement on May 21 as students traded their usual class schedule for something a little different: Career Day. Bringing in roughly 50 local businesses and professionals, the event brought the real world to classrooms sharing what it’s like to work in everything from firefighting to pharmacy, restaurants, and more.

Congratulations to our 2024-25 OZcar Staff of the Year winners for each building! Ozark School District is blessed to have such a passionate, caring and supportive staff. While these are the building winners, dozens more staff members were nominated. The District winners will be chosen from these building winners and will be announced in August.

At Ozark Junior High, there is a place where creativity knows no bounds, where students step outside their comfort zone and collaborate with each other to explore the unknown. That place is the Makery Club. 

Ozark High School is hosting a Transition and Resource Fair from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Ozark Innovation Center for area junior high and high school-aged students who may be in special education, have a 504 or an IEP. The come-and-go event will be an informational night with more than 20 local agencies and organizations coming together to meet with parents, guardians and students to talk about types of support and help available. 

In case Ozark School District needs to cancel school, use late start procedures or early release procedures due to inclement weather, we want you to be informed of the process. Student and faculty safety is the primary concern in making the call for cancelation versus late start or early release.

Ozark KITES students are always hard at work, but these last few weeks, they’ve been working a little extra as they wrap up their projects for the Ozark KITES Department Showcase Dec. 12. 

Ozark High School students Brodie Mohler, Sebastian Villarreal, and Lexie Zagorodny recently represented their school at the National Anatomage Tournament held May 30–31 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After earning top-four finishes at the Missouri State Anatomage Tournament during the Missouri HOSA State Leadership Conference in March, these students qualified to compete on the national stage.

This spring, students in Mrs. McNew’s Fashion Design & Construction class took their sewing skills to the next level, choosing advanced projects they loved and would proudly wear. From retro vests to formal gowns and streetwear staples, each garment was thoughtfully crafted using customizable PDF patterns.

Ozark High School students are no strangers to working with real clients on hands-on projects, and this spring Construction Tech 2 students did just that as they built a storage shed for Ozark’s Historic River District. 

Did you know Ozark High School has its own student-run quilt shop? That’s right, our talented Tigers are learning how to quilt, run a business, and work with real customers, all while creating something beautiful! Watch the video to see how students are stitching together skills for the future! 

Ozark High School sophomore Addison Groeteke turned her passion for fishing into a community impact this spring, raising more than $9,200 through a fishing tournament she organized and hosted on April 13 at Table Rock Lake.

Several Ozark High School Honors English I students have been nationally recognized for their outstanding work in the Milton Wolf Prize in Student Advocacy, a nationwide competition that encourages students to explore real-world issues and advocate for causes they care deeply about.

Ozark High School students Brodie Mohler, Sebastian Villarreal, and Lexie Zagorodny recently represented their school at the National Anatomage Tournament held May 30–31 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After earning top-four finishes at the Missouri State Anatomage Tournament during the Missouri HOSA State Leadership Conference in March, these students qualified to compete on the national stage.

This spring, students in Mrs. McNew’s Fashion Design & Construction class took their sewing skills to the next level, choosing advanced projects they loved and would proudly wear. From retro vests to formal gowns and streetwear staples, each garment was thoughtfully crafted using customizable PDF patterns.

Did you know Ozark High School has its own student-run quilt shop? That’s right, our talented Tigers are learning how to quilt, run a business, and work with real customers, all while creating something beautiful! Watch the video to see how students are stitching together skills for the future! 

Since launching the Academy Model in 2021, Ozark High School has been working to provide students meaningful career exploration and real-world experiences through Client Connected Projects (CCPs). And now, thanks to a $5,000 Coover/Rural Schools Partnership Career Exploration Grant, the high school can bring real-world learning to more students through teacher training. 

Ozark High School band and choir students showcased their exceptional talent, discipline, and dedication at the 2025 State Solo and Ensemble Festival, where they performed alongside some of the best young musicians in the state. Their hard work and countless hours of rehearsal culminated in an impressive showing, with students earning a wide array of top honors across both solo and group performances. 

Ozark band and choir students kicked off spring break in style by competing in the District Solo and Ensemble contest on March 7. The choir took 68 students, earning 20 Gold ratings and 17 Silver ratings. The band brought 74 members with 29 entries receiving Gold ratings and 25 entries receiving Silver ratings.

Exciting things are happening this summer … and Tiger Paw students get a front-row seat! On June 10, Tiger Paw broke ground on its new, inclusive and accessible playground in the empty field that was fenced in by the parking lot. Tiger Paw will also have its existing playground redone once Summer School is out. Students and staff are very excited! Over at Ozark High School, $2 million in roof repairs are starting as well. 

On Tuesday, April 22, community members, students, staff, tennis players, coaches and local leaders gathered to celebrate a milestone for Ozark High School athletics, particularly the tennis program, with the official ribbon cutting of the newly-refinished tennis courts. A project made possible through funds from the $19 million bond approved by voters in April of 2022.

On April 5, 2022, Ozark voters approved a $19 million no tax increase bond issue to construct three storm shelters and an indoor activities building at the high school. In fall 2024, those projects were completed as promised, making our schools safer with a storm shelter at every building. The district not only was able to accommodate growth, but remained under budget. During a Feb. 6 work session, the Board of Education allocated how to spend the remaining $5 million.

A new chapter for Ozark High School student activities began on Aug. 22, 2024, as the Ozark community, along with state and local representatives, school and District staff, OHS band students, cheerleaders, and JROTC cadets, gathered to cut the ribbon for the OHS storm shelter/gym and the new indoor activities center.

Ozark School District is excited to celebrate the completion of our latest 2022 bond project with the official Ribbon Cutting for the new indoor activity center and storm shelter/gym at Ozark High School on Aug. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
 

Spring of 2024 has already proven the need for Ozark School District to have a storm shelter at every building. And, as of May 21, Ozark is one step closer with the official Ribbon Cutting for the storm shelter at Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center.